Got Your Mate? Not Anymore
by Mr.Malfoy-Potter
Summary: Kidnapping, torture, The Volturi. Will the Cullens ever live in peace? They have all been searching for their soulmates, but what happens if they're better unfound? You may not like who you are made for.
1. Realisations, Friendships and Betrayals

Realisations, Friendships and Betrayals.

Bella woke up to her barely-lit bedroom. She stumbled out of bed to the window where she saw the gloomy sky of Forks, Washington - cloudy as usual.

She steps into the shower, groaning as the hot water cascades down her back. Bella's 18 today. Down in the kitchen are two presents, a scrapbook from Renee and a camera from Charlie. She stashes the scrapbook in her room and packs the camera in her backpack. She sighs, quickly getting in her truck and heading towards school. In less than 10 minutes Bella pulls into the space next to the shiny silver Volvo and hurries to first period, knowing she is already late. She walks towards her seat next to Edward, tripping in the process. As soon as she sat down, Edward leans over and whispers to her.

"Happy birthday - sorry. Alice is looking for you."

She groaned, focusing on the teacher who had just entered the room. Time flew, and before she knew it, it was lunchtime. Eyes downcast, Bella walked through the cafeteria line, paying for the food; slowly walking towards the Cullen's table. As soon as she put the tray down, Alice was in front of her, her arms wrapped around Bella.

"Happy birthday Bella!" She said, happily.

"Shh!" She said fiercely, looking around.

"I'm guessing you don't want your present yet?" She smiled, evilly.

"No."

They both sat down and Edward leans over, pecking Bella's cheek. She smiles over at him as Alice starts talking about her plan for the birthday party.

"I've already seen that you love your present, which you'll wear to the birthday party I'm throwing you tonight. I've already talked to Charlie, and he said you can sleep over tonight – so everything's set."

When the final bell rung, Bella sprinted out to her truck, hoping to leave before anyone noticed, but both Edward and Alice were standing there waiting for her. As she took Edward's hand, Alice handed her a box.

"I'll see you at 7." She reminded as she got into the Volvo and drove home.

"I thought I'd spend some time with you this afternoon." Edward murmured against her cheek.

Bella blushed, the heat invading her face before she could stop it. Edward moaned against her face, breathing in the scent of the blood which was so close to his lips. His tongue snaked out from between his lips, sliding down to the corner of her mouth as his hands travel down to Bella's hips. As his mouth covered hers, he pulled her body flush against his, leaning back against the truck. Bella moves her head to the side, gasping for breath, in which Edward uses the opportunity to trail fire-blazing kisses down her exposed neck.

Panting, she wraps her arms around his neck, forcing his mouth closer into her skin. He growls, pulling away from her, holding Bella's hands between us.

"I don't want to hurt you, Bella." He whispered, resting his forehead against hers for a second before walking to the passenger side of the truck.

She huffs quietly before getting into the truck and starting on her way home.

When she pulled up, Edward opened her door and carried her into the lounge room, laying her gently on the lounge as he put on a movie, and then he lied behind her, spooning her as she slowly fell asleep.

Bella open her eyes to see beautiful topaz eyes inches from her face. She smiled sleepily as she pulled her head up to his lips. Before she could kiss him, her head flopped back down, and she giggled, feeling his frame shake as he chuckled from above her.

"Time to go." He said, standing up and taking her hand. "I told Alice not to go too overboard."

Bella groaned, letting him drag her up the stairs into her bedroom. She opened the box and pulled out the dress Alice had given her. It was completely useless, there are so many straps that she called Edward in to help her. As he fitted the dress over her body, his fingers lingered on my hips and his eyes flashed to mine in mirror. Before my body could respond, he pulled his hands back.

"They're waiting for us."

Bella grimaced, turning around. "We'll come on. I'm not going to stay 18 forever." As she said this she looked into his eyes and cocked an eyebrow, smirking slightly.

"Bellaa…" He warned before flitting down to wait in her truck.

Sighing, she followed down at human pace and got into the passenger seat.

"Let's not let this ruin the evening, my love." Edward takes her hand and kisses the back of it before starting up the engine.

The drive was quiet – as quiet as can be with a roaring Chevy engine. Occasionally Edward would hum a song or ask Bella what she's thinking about. When they drove up his driveway, he parked around the side of the house next to all the other cars. As they were walking around to the door, Bella looked back, seeing that her truck didn't fit in here either. Slow, like her. And ancient – how she'll become if she stays human. She turned around so that she didn't trip over and she took Edward's hand, letting him pull her up the stairs to his house.

Carlisle and Esme greeted them as they walked through the door. "Happy birthday, Bella." They said, pulling her in for a hug.

"Happy birthday!" She heard coming from the lounge room. Walking around the corner, Bella spotted Emmett, Rosalie and Alice sitting on the lounge watching a cheesy vampire movie. She grinned, sitting between Alice and Emmett on the lounge, Edward following and sitting on the floor between her legs.

Bella absentmindedly ran her fingers through his tousled bronze hair, yelping in surprise when she noticed Jasper in the corner of the room, standing stone-still and staring straight at her.

"Is Bella-boo scared of the vampire?" Emmett teased, tickling her sides. Bella giggled, furiously trying to escape his torture, but neither Alice nor Edward helped her escape. When she started turning purple Edward took mercy and pulled her away. She gasped for breath, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"My saviour." She breathed, lifting her head away from his chest and kissing his lips.

Half an hour later Edward took her into the kitchen to help her prepare her dinner. As they returned to the couch, she noted that Alice was gone, yet Jasper remained. Odd, they always seemed to be…well, together. _I'll ask Edward later_, she thought.

As soon as they sat down, she heard a loud groan from upstairs. Emmett chuckled whilst Jasper looked like he was in pain. Bella quickly finished her food and then asked Edward if they could go talk. He carried her through the forest to a small meadow.

"What was going on back there? Who was making those sounds, are they okay? Where did Alice go?"

"Bella, Bella, calm down." Edward soothed, wrapping his arms around her. "Alice has found her mate, a vampire. She saw a vision of him in a fight and Emmett went and rescued him for her. Well, all his pieces. The sounds of pain were because when limbs are reattached it's painful. Don't be afraid, but Jasper is almost here."

Just then, Jasper broke through the trees and looked at Edward with, sorrow?

"He's a human drinker." Jasper spat, jealousy lacing his words. "And she actually accepts him for who he is." He sat down on a rock and put his head in his hands.

Bella looked up at Edward, then back over at Jasper. She walked over until she was next to the rock he was seated on, dropping to her knees beside him. "Jasper, none of this is your fault." she whispered.

His head snapped up and he looked straight into her eyes. "You see things differently, young one."

"Jasper, Alice told me not to tell you, but she saw your mate." Edward said, walking closer. "She says you'll meet her soon, she's not sure where, but you will. I read it in her thoughts. She didn't want you to know – because you could change the course of the future."

Before Bella could blink, Jasper was standing behind her, right in front of Edward. "Is...Is that why she divorced me last year?" Edward and Bella could feel the wonder he was projecting, and they smiled, knowing Jasper would get to be happy too.

That night, Edward, Jasper and Bella decided to camp out in the meadow they found. Edward didn't want Bella too close to Alice's mate, the human drinker, and Jasper was still upset that Alice found her mate. They found out that his name is Brayden and she found him down south in Mexico. Since Phoenix, Edward has allowed Jasper to come closer to Bella, and she's found out that they both have lots in common.

Edward pitched the tent while Jasper told Bella about his life, the moments he remembered as a human, his time in the Civil War, Maria, the newborns, Alice, everything. She felt happiness and wonder, listening to his stories. The Cullen's didn't give him enough credit, after everything he's been through.

"You're not afraid, Bella. Not even after knowing I've killed innocent people."

"You knew no other way, until you met Alice and the Cullen's. And you've done exceptionally well; they don't give you enough credit." She smiled at him. "Should I be afraid?"

"I guess not." Jasper looked over at Edward. "I'm glad you found someone good for you, Edward, you deserve happiness." He sighed.

"Jasper, you deserve happiness too, don't give up hope. Your mate is out there, you'll find her. Remember what you said to me in Phoenix? _You_ are worth it."

He smiled at her sadly and took her hand. "Thank you."

That night Bella fell to sleep and she dreamt. _What will happen to the Cullen's now?_

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Bella finally fell asleep and Edward went out to talk to Jasper.

"You can't keep doing this to her." Jasper whispered as he sat down beside him.

"Doing what?"

"Lying to her. Edward, I know I haven't known you the longest, but I can feel your emotions and I know what you're hiding, trying to deny."

"Jasper, please don't-"

"Edward, you're gay!" He stood up and looked down at the shocked vampire. "From your era it may have been looked down upon, but this is the 21st Century. You'll hurt her more in the end; she already hurts when you refuse to turn her."

"I…I don't know how I could tell anyone. Carlisle and Esme will abandon me, everyone will hate me, and Bella would be so heartbroken!" Edward sobbed quietly.

"I doubt they will turn their back on you for something you can't control. How many times have I slipped? Somehow they still care; it's a part of their nature. Don't worry about it, brother, I would never leave you. No matter what happens, I believe you'll always have Bella's support, too."

"If I come out and tell them, do you promise me one thing?"

"Of course." Jasper reached for his hand and pulled him to his feet.

Looking eye-to-eye with him, Edward said, "You have to stay with us, you can't leave because of Alice. If you really need to, I'll go with you."

"Okay. Now run home and tell them. I'll wait here and guard Bella."

Within five minutes Edward was facing the back of the house; through the glass he could see Alice and Brayden watching him. Waiting for him.

_I've seen you tell Carlisle and Esme. Don't worry, they are very supportive. Love you._ Alice thought towards Edward as he walked past her, he whispered a thank you, and he walked upstairs to Carlisles office.

"Come in, Edward." He said, never once looking up from his book. He stood awkwardly at the entrance of his office for three minutes before Carlisle finally looked up at him. "Was there something you needed, Edward?" He smiled kindly at Edward.

He called out to Esme before sitting down on one of the few chairs in front of his desk. Within seconds Esme was sitting beside him and they both looked at Edward expectantly.

He sighed nervously, twisting his fingers in his lap in a very human-like gesture. "I'm gay." Edward blurted out before he could stop himself. Instantly he zoned in on their thoughts and he was shocked. They got up at the same time, came over and hugged him. Edward was so happy and relieved, it was the best feeling. Until Emmett walked in and ruined it.

"What about Bella-boo?" He said. "Or does she have a willy?"

Edward stood up and growled at him, smirking when he smelt fear. He walked past Emmett and down the stairs, smiling at Rosalie when she said she's proud of him. He sprinted back into the forest, feeling lighter, like a weight was removed from his shoulders.

As Edward ran, he could detect the scent of Alice and Brayden, and he pushed himself faster, fearing the safety of his singer. He may be homosexual, but he still cares for her deeply. He exploded through the trees and was in front of Bella's tent in a crouch before they even noticed him. Alice, Jasper and Brayden all looked towards Edward, and he straightened up, embarrassed, before walking over and sitting with them.

"Ehm, sorry for interrupting." He nervously chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I'm so proud of you Edward!" Alice squealed, jumping into his lap. Edward couldn't keep the smile off my face.

"Thank you." He grinned at them all. "So, what did I interrupt?" As he said this, he noticed Alice hiding her thoughts. Just as he was about to ask, he was interrupted by Jasper.

"You've got a mate!"

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

She awoke to sounds of giggling.

Familiar, high-pitched female giggling.

Alice!

Bella stumbled, bleary-eyed to the wall of the tent and searched blindly for the zipper. _I wonder what time it is._ She finally found it, and she fell out of the tent trying to open it.

"Ouch!" she exclaimed, holding her arm where it was stinging. Her eyes adjusted, and Bella could see Alice and Edward holding Brayden, stopping him from trying to harm her.

Jasper walks forward and gets down to her level, ripping his shirt sleeve off and wrapping Bella's arm up. By this time, it's only them in the meadow. He gently picked her up and carried her back to the house and as soon as they make it into the light, she could see them. His scars, the ones he's disgusted of.

She placed her hand on his arm, her fingers tracing the crescent-shaped scars in his stone skin. Jasper goes to pull his arm back, but Bella grasped it harder. She knows he could've easily pulled away, if he wanted to. He was curious to see what she would do.

"Bella, your emotions…you aren't disgusted or afraid." He noted, staring at her in wonder.

Bella showed him the scar on her own wrist. "Why would I be afraid of something that you can't control, something that makes you, you?"

He kissed her forehead and clutched her closer to his chest before putting her on the couch. "Let's see the cut, young one." He teased.

As he cleaned the cut, Bella sat there wondering how he could manage to control his thirst. He must've guessed her thoughts, because he answered before she could ask.

"Your blood hasn't affected me since Phoenix, that's why Edward trusts you with me now."


	2. Maybe What She Needs Is Hope

I'd just like to say thank you to my first two reviewers, yearprincess and dolhpin33. This chapter is for you two.

Maybe What She Needs Is Hope.

The next morning they didn't go to school – they decided to have another game of baseball because there was a thunderstorm. Bella got to pick the teams, Edward, Rosalie, Brayden and Esme against Alice, Carlisle and Emmett.

It was a fun game until it started raining and they called it off because she could get sick. Bella had pouted all the way home, but once she got dry and warm, she felt so much better. Alice, Brayden, Edward, Jasper and Bella were playing chess, Alice verses Edward. It was a fun game, Alice predicting Edward's move and Edward reading Alice's mind. Eventually Alice won, much to Edward's frustration. It was an interesting game to watch.

Edward drove her home that evening.

"Bella," he started. "I'm going hunting tonight, not too far, but it means I won't be in your room tonight."

"Oh…okay." she mumbled, feeling sad.

"Jasper will keep you company tonight, protection in case Victoria attacks."

"Will you hurry back?" Bella asks, hopeful. "Wait…Victoria's around? Where? Has she hurt anyone?"

"We're not sure, but she is going to revenge James. Mate for a mate."

* * *

That night, as promised, Jasper slid silently through the window as Bella lay in bed.

"Hey Jazz."

"Hey Bella."

She grinned. "Take a seat." She gestured to the rocking chair in the corner.

"Thank you, ma'am." He bows, his southern drawl thick.

Just then Bella noticed his different attire. He no longer wore those fancy clothes he used to, but he is now wearing jeans, cowboy boots and a flannelette shirt.

He looked like a cowboy. She giggled before she could stop herself, and he smirked at her.

"Somethin' funny, darlin'?

"You're a cowboy!"

It was Friday night and Bella decided to stay up late and talk to Jasper. They had similar tastes in music and he loved teasing her about her book choices. Supposedly his westerns are so much better than Bella's old classics. They talked about their hometowns, the clear blue sky and blazing sun in Texas and Phoenix. They fought over which gaming consoles are better, which games are interesting and the ones that suck. Soon enough Bella fell asleep.

She glanced at the alarm clock on the side of the bed and sighed. It's 3 am. She lay in bed trying to fall asleep, tossing and turning. She eventually stayed on her back, but she couldn't seem to get to sleep. Bella felt weight on the side of the bed and her eyes flashed open, seeing Jasper sitting next to her.

"Did I wake you? Sorry, I was just out getting some fresh air and your emotions were very strong." Jasper murmured softly. "Sorry."

"No, you didn't wake me." She sat up and ran her fingers through her hair. "I couldn't get back to sleep."

"Would you like to accompany me on a walk then?"

"Uh, sure."

Bella quickly threw clothes on and Jasper picked her up. He jumped softly out the window but the landing jolted her.

"Sorry, I'm not used to being gentle."

He put her down and started walking. Bella fell over on her third step – it's still dark. He bent down and picked her up, carrying her until they were near the edge of the road.

"Can you see now?" he teased.

Bella rolled my eyes and started walking and he fell into stride beside her. They passed many houses and went down a few streets, and before she knew it, she was lost. Forks may not be big, but it's confusing. At the end of this street was a park, that's where Jasper was taking her. He walked a step in front of her so he could lead me over to the swing set. They both sat on the swings and Bella started swinging.

"Bella, I wanted to tell you something, but it's not your fault, okay?"

She stopped abruptly. "Yes?"

"Edward – well. He's gay."

She gasped. "What?!"

In less than a second Jasper was right in front of her, his face millimetres from Bella's.

"Edward. Is. Homosexual." He spoke his words carefully, as if talking to a small child.

"But- That can't be! He- We're mates! We're destined to be together…?" She started to lose my certainty and what was meant to be a statement sounded like a question. Grief was quick to take over her, and before she knew it, she was in Jaspers arms, sobbing into his shoulder. He cradled Bella in his arms for what felt like hours, she must've fell asleep because that morning she woke up in her bed.

She looked over to see Jasper facing away from her, Edward in front of him.

"Bella, Edward's here to see you. Do you want me to go, or stay?"

"I'll be fine, Jazz." Her voice sounded hoarse.

Jasper cast one look at Edward before jumping out the window. She sat there awkwardly, waiting for Edward to start talking.

"Bella, I'm sorry." He said, walking over and sitting on the end of her bed. "I tried to keep the sinful emotions out, but nothing worked. You have no idea how much I wish I could be with you." He put his head in his hands.

Although she was hurting, Bella couldn't stop herself from climbing out of bed and wrapping her arms around him. "Edward, this isn't your fault. It's something that you desire, not something you can control. All the hot guys are gay." She joked, trying to lighten the mood. "But seriously…" She paused.

"Bella, nothing could have changed this, but I want you to know that I do love you. For so long I thought you were my mate, because I felt protective of you. But I realise now that everything worked out how it should, you were meant to become involved in our family. Without you, I…I don't know what I'd be."

"I should be thanking you, Bella. I can see the pain in your eyes though, so I guess that'd be inappropriate." He cradled her face in his hands. It was true, Bella was hurting, a lot, but she would've hurt more if she had found out later, and if she had no one to comfort her.

He leaned away from her and stood up, walking toward the window. "I hope you can forgive me and we can be friends. You're still a part of the family." He reminded.

He jumped out the window with those last words, and within seconds Jasper was in front of Bella, his arms wrapped around her small frame. She sobbed quietly, but refused to let any tears fall. She had just lost my first love – my only love. _No, don't think that Bella_. Surely you have a mate, too. 'You're a part of the family' Edward had said.

She knew she will find him eventually.

* * *

"Jazz, how do you know when you find your mate?" Bella asked as he stood beside her, watching her as she made herself cereal.

"Tough question Bella. I've never met my mate, but I've been around the Cullen's for a while. It's different with all of them. When Carlisle met Esme, they were both hurting, so it came to them in a way of comfort – they didn't realise they were in love for a while. When Rosalie found Emmett, it was instant protectiveness, and as soon as he'd been changed, they fell in love. They all tell me it's the same thing though – they just have a strong urge to be together."

She nodded, processing this information as she crunched on her cereal. Bella was curious about how she would find her mate; everyone had found theirs as human – dying. She looked at Jasper; he was facing the wall opposite her.

"Uh, are you okay?" She held back laughter.

"Yeah, I just don't enjoy it when people watch me eat, so I pay the same respect. Does it bother you?"

"No, it's fine, I don't like it when people watch me eat. Makes me self-conscious."

With nothing to do, Jasper invited Bella over to the Cullen house. "It'll only be us, Emmett and Rosalie. Please? We'll have fun, better than sitting around here. No offense." He grinned at her, knowing she'd go. "Go get ready; I'll go get my car." With that he took off, and Bella chuckled. He was so different, away from the Cullen's. He wasn't afraid to talk too much, which she found hilarious. She ran upstairs, showered and got dressed. When she was ready, she decided to wait downstairs for Jasper, but he'd beaten her there.

"Let's go." She said enthusiastically, walking towards the door.

"You're strange, little one."

"And how old are you? 100?"

"158, actually." He laughed as he blew past her, already in the front seat of his car. _Older than Edward?_

Bella walked over slowly, smiling at him when she slid into the car. "Aren't old people supposed to be slow?"

"Aren't young people supposed to be fast?" He joked back.

"How old are you in human years?" She asked, curious.

"Hmm, guess?" She watched him, studying his features. He looked around 20.

"I don't want to offend you." Bella replied with, watching him smile.

"Do you really want to know?" She glared at him, and he chuckled. "I'm 22."

"You were born 180 years ago. Old."

"You were born 18 years ago, little one."

They arrived at the house – the manor? – and they walked in, seeing Emmett and Rosalie playing video games. The house looked empty, alone. Jasper gave Bella a nudge forward, and she walked over, sitting beside Rosalie. They got out four controllers, and they played Perfect Dark on a restored Nintendo 64. They sat there for hours, only stopping for Bella's human needs, and soon enough Carlisle was back.

That night when Bella went home, she was alone. The vampires needed to hunt.

* * *

The rest of the weekend was a blur for Bella, doing housework and homework – even spending a bit of time with Charlie. She couldn't complain, she was looking forward to school on Monday.

Finally it was Monday, and the sky was a murky grey, no sign of the sun. The only Cullen that would be able to go to school was Edward, but he was still hunting. She drove to school, arriving early. Hardly anyone was there, so she sat on the benches out the front of the school and listened to music. She pulled her earphones out when she saw a girl approaching.

"Could you please show me where the office is?" The girl asked, stopping in front of Bella.

"Sure, uh, this way."

She got up and walked the girl around the side of the building.

"You may have guessed I'm new here." She smiled kindly.

"Yeah. I only started here last year." Bella said, smiling back at the girl. She was lightly tanned, with long strawberry-blonde hair and green eyes. As she turned around to face the office, she saw another girl walking over towards them.

"This is my sister, she starts here too." The unknown girl walked forward to talk to the girl. They were speaking too quietly for Bella to hear. She studied the sister, her dirty blonde hair and her murky green-brown eyes. When she studied them closer, she realised something. The younger girl, the junior, was pale. Deathly pale, like the Cullen's.

_Definite vampire_, Bella thought, watching their jerky movements. _Doesn't seem as though they have experience at going to school, they aren't breathing, or even acting as though they are breathing._

"Hello, my name is Bella." Bella said, smiling. She didn't want to say anything about what they were, but she would befriend them.

The strawberry-blonde answered. "My sister is Stephanie, she's a Junior. I'm a senior, Hope." They both smiled and Stephanie waved.

"The bell doesn't ring for a while, so if you go get your schedule, I can show you around." She offered. She inwardly laughed when she realised what the Cullen's would do if they knew that she was near two vampires. They accepted, and Bella stood with Stephanie outside the office.

"Good luck today." Bella said. "Everyone stares at and wants to know new people. It's not every day people move here." She chuckled.

"Oh…" She said, nervously tucking her hair behind her ear. "I'm not…so good with people."

"Oh, well. I'm sorry." Bella looked at her with sincerity. "You and Hope can sit with me at Lunch, if you like. It may keep people away…"

"Really? Oh thank you!" She jumped up and down, a little too weird for a human. Bella just smiled, she liked it. Hope came back and gave Bella her schedule, and Bella led them into the building. As she led them to room 1 and 2, she studied Hope's schedule.

"We have English first, Spanish fourth and Gym last together." She smiled, giving back her schedule. She showed them to all the rooms, then the Cullen's table in the cafeteria where she would meet them at lunch. Just then the bell rung. "Good luck, Stephanie." Bella waved as she and Hope walked to English.

"Please, call me Steph!" He yelled, waving, before heading to class. Everyone was staring at her, and Bella laughed quietly.

Bella and Hope were the first two in English, and Bella stood with her while the teacher signed her slip. They sat in the back, away from people, but still people were staring at them. Mike was one of the first students in and came over, introducing himself to Hope. It was the same as the first day with Bella, and it was amusing to watch Hope turn him down.

The teacher eventually ordered Mike to take a seat, and he was forced to sit at the opposite side of the room, far from the two girls. "I'm sorry about him, he did the same thing when I first moved here."

"That's okay, he's not my type." She laughed quietly to Bella, who smiled back warmly. As the teacher droned on about a novel they've been studying, Bella and Hope were passing notes.

Bella: _Where did you move from? _

Hope: _Alaska._

Bella: _Where do you and your family live?_

Hope: _It's just my sister and I, our parents were killed._

Bella: _Oh, I'm sorry._

Hope: _It was a long time ago._

The bell went and they got separated. Hope went off to Trig, and Bella had Government. Finally, it was fourth period, Bella and Hope were together again. In Spanish, they sat at the back again, and no one tried to introduce themselves to her. They were practicing sentences with the people around them.

"¿Cómo estas hoy?" Hope said in fluent Spanish.

"Estoy bien. ¿Y tu?" Bella replied, and they both grinned at each other, high-fiving. Hope started speaking in fluent Spanish in Bella's ear, so complicated that Bella couldn't understand. It was funny though, and Bella couldn't stop laughing. After Spanish was lunch, and Bella got her food, sitting at the Cullen's table. Hope followed slowly, grabbing a salad. Steph made her way over too, with no one with her. _Maybe she didn't make any friends._

"Hey Steph, did you make any friends today?" Bella asked, taking a bite of her apple. She sat down between Hope and Bella, sighing.

"Not exactly. There were many people…interested to meet me. Interested _in_ me. It was terrible." She put her head in her hands.

"It's not _too_ bad, come on." Hope said, nudging her sister.

"It _is!_ You're lucky, you have Bella with you. I have no one."

"What about that guy." Bella said, nodding her head in the direction of a junior staring at Steph. When they turned to see who she pointed out, the boy blushed and looked away quickly. Hope and Bella chuckled softly.

"Oh shush." Hope swatted at them. "He's cute." With that they snickered harder.

Bella was happy that they decided to move to Forks. She watched the two bickering sisters with fascination, glad they had met her. She could see herself becoming great friends with them. _Well, unless they drink your blood and you die, _a small voice said in the back of her head. She didn't listen.


	3. Life Is Playing Out How It Should

Life Is Playing Out How It Should

It was funnier watching Hope in Gym. We were playing badminton, and she tried to make her movements human-like, but they were jerky and fast. Bella could barely contain her laughter. Barely. She was too focused on watching Hope that she fell over and got hit many times. By the end of the period, they were both in hysterics. They barely made it out of the class without the teacher yelling at them.

Bella made it to her truck first, surprised when she saw a truck next to it. _It may be old, but it's perfectly restored,_ she thought. "See you tomorrow." Bella said, sliding into her truck.

"Bye." Hope smiled, and Bella faintly heard Steph yell "See you later, Bella."

Bella's drive was quiet – as quiet as it could be with a roaring engine. She glanced in her review mirror to see Hope behind her. When Bella pulled up at her house, they drove past, stopping at a house a few houses down. _They live in my street! _Bella thought happily. She waved at them heartily before she had to go inside. She checked her emails, caught up on her homework and did a load of washing. Just as she was about to start dinner, there was a knock on the door.

Her hands were wet, so she wiped them before going to the door. When she opened it, she was immediately snatched. She was yanked from the doorway and thrown into a car before it sped off. The last thing she saw before she was blindfolded was the hint of orange hair.

Xxxxxxxxxx

"Can we leave yet?" Jasper asked, lying on his back. He was sloshy for drinking so much. Edward was beside him.

"Well, we can cut the trip short and leave Carlisle and Esme here." Edward replied before sitting up.

"You can leave if you like." Carlisle said from far away. They smirked before standing. Sometimes vampire hearing has its benefits. _Well, not _most _of the time. _Edward chuckled when he read Jasper's thoughts, pushing himself faster. He made it a few metres in front before Jasper sent a dose of fear to him, not enough to drop him, but enough to slow him down. He tipped an invisible hat as he passed Edward, the growl he sent getting lost in the wind. His blond curly hair was flying in the wind. He let Edward catch up, but he never let him overtake. They made it back to Forks in the morning, time for school. For Edward, anyway.

He got ready and left, and Jasper went and sat with Emmett and Rosalie. He had felt guilty for interrupting their alone time, so he told them he was going to go out and he'd be back in a few hours. He ran and ran, and he ended up at Forks High. It was only early morning, and Jasper hoped to see Bella to tell her he was back. He could smell vampire mixed in among the human. But he couldn't find Bella. When he looked down at Edward, he saw him staring at him. He slightly shook his head before he left for class. _I'll go look at her house for her?_ Jasper asked, and Edward nodded while he was walking.

Jasper ran to Bella's house. _Is she sick? _He cursed himself for not having a mobile, and for Bella not having one. He needed to be able to keep in contact with her. When he arrived at her house, he saw nothing out of the ordinary. Bella's truck was there, but Charlie's cruiser was gone. And the front door was wide open.

He walked in, smelling Bella's scent. It wasn't completely fresh, probably a day old or so. In the kitchen was human food. Looks as though Bella was making food and then she just stopped suddenly. That was suspicious. He looked in every room of the house, not finding anything useful. _Except that Bella isn't there. _Outside the house was a scent, a human scent. A very _strange _human scent. It stops at the front door, mingling with Bella's scent. _Did someone take her?_

He didn't want to bother Emmett and Rosalie with this, he promised them alone time. _Isn't Bella that important?_ He ignored that voice, running back to Forks High. He could see Edward in class, staring at him. Jasper replayed all the evidence through his mind, and he could see Edward stiffen. _Should I go try pick up any trails, or alert the rest of the Cullen's? _He asked. That reminded him of why he wasn't with Emmett and Rosalie right now, and Edward looked at him and rolled him eyes. He held one finger up, motioning for option one.

Jasper went back to Bella's house. If Bella was taken, it must have happened yesterday. That means Charlie hasn't returned either. _Who would take both of them? Victoria?_

"Victoria?" Edward appeared next to him. "Maybe. I can't see her working with humans though. One human, at least, which would have the strength to take Bella without a struggle." Edward disappeared into the house to see if there was any evidence Jasper had missed.

Meanwhile, Jasper searched the trail on the front yard. The scents ended at the side of the road, which means they had entered a vehicle. There were two possible scenarios. They had been strong enough to snatch Bella and not create any source of struggle, none in the doorway or on the grass. Or he was over-reacting and a friend or a relative had come and picked Bella up. _You should've found a way to keep in contact with her. Or at least left her a bodyguard. _

Edward returned with no new evidence. They knew the only place left to look was the police station. _If Charlie isn't there, then they've both been kidnapped, and if he is there, then someone is just after Bella. _But it doesn't explain why Charlie never came home last night.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Bella was lying on a lounge. She wasn't bound, blind-folded or gagged. It was as if she was at a friends' house and was just relaxing. Except she was tense, wanting to run but knowing it was useless. A vampire was holding her hostage. Bella could see her through a window, but it was murky. The orange hair was obvious.

She knew that there was another vampire involved, the one that kidnapped her was on the phone, had been for the 2 hours they'd been here. The drive here took hours, Bella didn't know the exact time because she had fallen asleep. But it was day time now, afternoon. The sun wasn't out, but that didn't narrow it down. Every town – every state has cloudy days. She rested her head back. She was hungry and tired, and she wanted to go home.

The female stepped out of her line of sight, but she could still hear the shrill ring of her voice. She was demanding something, something Bella couldn't hear because it was too fast. She sighed in frustration. _What happened to Charlie? And the Cullen's? _

Bella got up slowly, eyes on the window. She stepped left, her focus on the window to see if they came back. She yelped suddenly when she hit something solid. She fell. "Fuck." She exclaimed. She looked up at the vampire blocking her. She was fully covered, her face, hair, body. The only thing Bella could see was the eyes. Blood-red eyes.

They weren't harsh, they were…curious? "Are you hungry?" She asked Bella who was still on the floor. When she received no answer, she continued. "Because it's dinnertime."

~Time skip~

Bella had disappeared 2 days ago. 2 days, and we were still no closer to finding her. Charlie was going insane; he put fliers up everywhere and had alerted many police stations to keep an eye out for her.

Esme and Carlisle had returned, but the person they needed most was Alice. Surely she would have mentioned if Bella was in trouble. He had a feeling Bella was okay, but his mind always raced with different scenarios. Jasper wasn't helping; he has a very… interesting imagination. One that doesn't help in terrible situations. Edward sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. He has been doing that a lot the last 48 hours. _Alice, WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU!? _

Maybe if I make a plan that I'll kill her when she returns, she'll see her future disappearing and she might eventually come home. If she doesn't get in the door in 24 hours, I'll grab her by her pixie hair; throw her through a wall…

Alice was suddenly hit with a vision. A vision of Edward, slowly shredding her limbs and lighting them on fire before injecting venom into the remains of her body, leaving her in pain for a long time before killing her. She gasped, and then frowned. _If only he knew that the wait is good for him._

"Brayden." She called, and instantly her mate was beside her. His eyes were brown-red from the animal blood. He had decided to take up the diet; he wanted to impress the rest of the Cullen's so they accept him. He knew that his feeding habits was not respected amongst them; even though Alice said it's okay. He wanted to impress her – always. He bent down next to her and put his hands on her shoulders.

"Alice." He replied, looking into her eyes. _Did she have a vision? _He didn't know what to do. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. It's just… something happened at home. But we can't return. Not yet anyway." Alice sighed. "They'll be angry at me when we do return, and they may try to harm me. Promise me you won't get in their way? They've been around a long time and they have lots of fighting expertise."

"Alice! What? I can't stand there and let them hurt you!"

"Brayden, darling, please, calm down. They won't hurt me; I need to explain my actions to them. See, Bella was taken. Jasper and Edward have been trying to find her; they're waiting for me to get back so I can help them, but I can't. This is the way the future is supposed to play out, and if I go back there now, they plan on killing me." Alice decided to text Carlisle; he was the only member of the Cullen's with a phone.

_Are Edward and Jasper there?_ _~A_

_WHERE IS BELLA, ALICE, WHY WON'T YOU TELL US WHERE SHE IS? ~E&J_

_She is safe and alive, don't panic. You won't be able to find her if you look. You will see her again in a few years, not here at Forks though. Calm down. ~A_

_But we miss her. ~E&J_

_Few years. ~A_

She felt bad for having to lie to them. She couldn't have them worrying though; she wanted to protect them.

Maybe later on they'll realise this is how it's supposed to happen. "Are you finished hunting?" Alice asked, frowning; deep in thought.

"Uh, yeah, why?"

"We've got a long run ahead of us."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Bella regained consciousness, and it was darkness. She had been moved into a room, in a big bed. She sat up, terrified, her heart-beat increasing. She was panting. Her fear hid her starvation temporarily. She calmed down after she was had been alone for half an hour. She flopped back down on the bed, her stomach growling furiously. The room was as dark as midnight; not even the glow of the moon could be seen.

When she raised her hand in front of her and she couldn't even see it. She wanted to go search for food, but she was afraid of the vampire. Thinking back on it, why didn't that vampire kill her before? It was 'dinnertime' after all. Bella somehow managed to fall asleep once again. She had a dreamless sleep, just drifting on the edge of consciousness. She opened her eyes when rays of light pierced her vision. It was faint, but she could see the outline of the room.

There were night stands on the side of the beds, with lamps on them. There was a desk of drawers on the left wall and the right wall had a large window. There was two doors on the other side of the room; the one to the ensuite was open and the door leading to the rest of the house was closed.

Bella got up and scurried to the bathroom. It felt good to finally relieve herself, but she was still hungry. Very hungry. When she finished, she walked back in the room to see a tray of food and clean clothes.

Before she could stop herself, she scarfed down the food. She went through two eggs, bacon and toast before she could control herself. She continued to sit there and eat the food until she was full. She then took a shower and changed into the jeans and t-shirt that were with the food. When she returned to the room, it had been cleaned and the bed made.

Bella breathed in deeply, gaining courage. She quickly and quietly left the bedroom and walked into the hallway. This part of the house was dark; the only window had been covered with a curtain. As she travelled through the house, she noticed something. There were lots of rooms, and the doors were all closed. _Isn't there only one vampire here?_

The further she walked, the darker the hallway became, and soon she had to squint to be able to see the outline of shapes.

"I've been waiting for you to wake." A voice said, coming from right behind her. Bella spun around, coming face-to-face with the vampire. From what Bella could see, she had long hair, different from the red head vampire she'd seen earlier.

Before Bella could say anything, the vampire grabbed Bella's hand and bit her. She bit her on the other wrist too before biting her neck on both sides. By this time Bella was screaming in pain.

The last thing she remembers before she was over-taken with pain was getting picked up by the vampire and her whispering in her ear, _Only three days._

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